Javier Castellano and Gustavo Delgado both have built incredibly impressive resumes in their sport, but saw only the omission on the first Saturday of May. Castellano, a 45-year-old Hall of Fame jockey who hadn’t been getting as many rides as late, was 0 for 15 in Derby attempts, and Delgado, a three-time winner of the Caribbean Triple Crown, 0 for 3. “When I come to the United States, my first dream was to go to the Kentucky Derby,‘’ Delgado cried as he tapped his heart through his white suit jacket, bending over at the waist, clearly overcome with emotion.
Mobbed by fellow Venezuelan jockey Junior Alvarado on the track, Castellano patted his horse with admiration. “He’s a little horse with a big horse,‘’ he said. Both Venezuelans, Castellano and Delgado were flocked by giddy countrymen, who waved their flag in celebration.
The uncomplicated simplicity of the victory was the balm that horse racing needed after a horrific week that left even horse racing fans grasping with the complexity of their beloved sport. Seven horses have been euthanized or died at Churchill Downs since April 27, and five horses had to be scratched from the Derby.
(Photo: Joe Robbins / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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